The Price of War
by Raena Coleen
Summary: "There is no turning back now, Micaiah. You have to give the order."  Micaiah simply closed her eyes and hung her head. "I know."


**I know I haven't posted anything in a while, but I was inspired by the scene this one-shot depicts. I tend to enjoy going in and detailing scenes like this. Anyway, the scene is from the end of Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn's Chapter 3-12, so there are spoilers. Nothing major though, I don't think. Either way, you've been warned. Disclaimer's on my profile.**

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><p>Sothe watched the oil pouring down the cliff side sadly. He knew why they had to fight, he knew why they couldn't simply give up, and why they couldn't simply tell the Apostle and her army why they had to. But it still pained him to help with something designed to kill so many people, many of them people he'd fought alongside just three years ago.<p>

Had it really only been three years? So much had changed. He had changed, Daein had changed, Micaiah had changed… But most of all, Daein's position had not changed. Before, they'd been enslaved by Begnion. They had had a few brief days of freedom, and then Pelleas had been tricked and signed them into slavery again. He turned to Micaiah, his grief locked away. He had to be strong for Micaiah.

"There is no turning back now, Micaiah. You have to give the order."

Micaiah simply closed her eyes and hung her head. "I know."

They watched as the Holy Guard scrambled in confusion before suddenly lifting into the air.

Micaiah had been prepared for this. "Don't let them escape! Archers, mages! Bring them down!"

The next few seconds were a complete blur for Sothe. One second he was standing with Micaiah, standing by her side, so close they would have had no problems locking hands, the next he felt something grab him by the collar and then his feet left solid ground and he was hanging by his throat and his collar and clinging to the arms of the Hawk King Tibarn.

The Hawk King turned accusing, disappointed eyes on him for a brief moment before they turned to Micaiah. His voice was not raised, yet all around the cliffs, everyone heard him. "Don't move. I see one arrow fly, and the boy gets a quick lesson in falling."

Sothe's heart skipped several beats as those words registered. "Tibarn-! Urk!" He choked as Tibarn's fist closed ever so slightly tighter about his throat.

Micaiah ran as close to the edge as she dared. "Sothe-! No, please! All units, cease fire at once! Do it now!"

Sothe managed to turn his head just enough to see Micaiah and, more importantly, behind her. His eyes widened as he spotted Ike, Ranulf and Soren coming up behind Micaiah, but was unable to say anything, Tibarn's grip restricting his breathing to the point he was starting to see spots.

Luckily, Tauroneo spotted them too. "General Ike has arrived… We have failed."

Micaiah spun to see the three who had come up behind her. Silence hung heavy in the air as she regarded all three, but especially Ike, carefully.

His hard eyes locked on her own. "Micaiah of Daein, listen very, very carefully to me."

Micaiah broke as the silence. "Tell him to let Sothe go!"

Ike's eyes narrowed. "Hmph, not a chance. I'm going to offer you two options. Either you surrender now and go home, or you fight us and die. Your choice."

Micaiah blinked away tears, casting a quick glance at Sothe, who was quickly stilling as his vision darkened further. "We won't retreat or negotiate… We can't!" she cried, voice cracking. "Regardless of what you think, our only choice is to fight."

Ranulf shook his head. "Are you insane! Micaiah, look around you. Every single person in your army will die! Do you really care so little for their lives!"

"Enough! Everybody, stand down!" The Apostle's voice echoed through the canyon that had so nearly become her final resting place. "There has been more than enough bloodshed for one day! I've seen enough! Please, please… no more…"

Ike nodded. "Apostle… Very well, we'll retreat for now." His eyes once again locked on Micaiah's. "I suggest you and your troops do the same, and quickly. I don't know how long I can hold my men back."

"But we can't!" The tears that had been building threatened to spill.

Tibarn's eyes narrowed. "Fine then. The boy's death is on your hands. Sorry little Sothe, your friend just signed your death warrant. Make your goodbye quick."

"No, wait Micai-!" Sothe grasped desperately at Tibarn's arms as the Hawk King let go, but his arms wouldn't respond properly for lack of oxygen, and he couldn't quite think straight and then he was falling and screaming and the air was rushing past him and everything went black.

Micaiah screamed as Sothe dropped, sobbing and shouting his name. She knew she shouldn't, knew that her soldiers were watching, but she didn't care. "NO! SOTHE! SOOOOOTHE!" She dropped to her knees at the edge of the cliff, only to sob with relief as she saw him being gently lowered to the ground by another hawk, one she recognized as Ulki from Sothe's descriptions. "Oooh, thank the Goddess… Sothe…"

Tibarn's eyes softened imperceptibly. "Take this as a lesson little beorc. Or when you fall, there will be no one to catch you."


End file.
